Puppy Love: Of Young and Old
by Haruske Elmdor
Summary: FoMT. Love blooms at an early age. Will this be the case for young May and Stu? Don't forget the other couples as well! Foreshadowing is the element of the chapter. Kasi sabi ko! Chapter 3 is up!
1. The Red Dress and the Cross

Disclaimer: I don't own HM:FoMT, but fun fact, I don't have a GBA myself. Story time now!

**CHAPTER I: The Red Dress and the Cross**

It was yet another bustling day in Mineral Town. Although the sun had already greeted the people hours ago, the afternoon breeze was perfect for a walk. The echoes of the happy voices trailing in the wind could even be heard by the Harvest Sprites, who were frantically gathering fresh pineapples from The Sanctum Farm, while Jack trailed behind, watering. He told Zack earlier that day to pick the up the shipments early that afternoon; he wanted to throw a surprise party for everyone in town with the money.

Somehow, the warm summer scent had even reached the Lake, where the Kappa playfully lunged at Gotz for the umpteenth time that day. Chunks of wood came flying down at different directions, finally hitting the disc on the Kappa's head. Cursing madly, the Kappa accepted defeat, and plunged down into the lake and at long last, Gotz heard the essence of Mineral Town's peacefulness. The angry yells of the Kappa drifted away as the wind became a gale, signaling that summer had to give way to autumn soon.

"Hmm?" wondered a little girl on pigtails, as she closed the door of Yodel Ranch. "I think I heard Mr. Kappa... It's probably just the wind", she thought blissfully as she trotted, clenching something in her little fist. She seemed to be in a hurry to go someplace, and her smile could tell that it was something she was looking forward to. The girl's name was May.

May skipped to a tune as she reached Rose Square, bidding the village wives a good afternoon as she passed. She halted for a second, but decided to continue on. She would tell Manna afterwards. She was certain that their jaws would drop with the news she heard that morning, but stopping would mean it would be a delay to see "him"...

It was a Church day, and May went happily to the Church to greet Carter and Stu. She was a fine young girl, her red dress reflecting the pleasant beams of the sun. She had her mother's eyes, though usually cool and silent, were positively looking cheerful that moment, and it looked as if they were pearls glistening when she saw Stu.

"Hi Carter! Hi Stu!" She said ecstatically as she pinched Stu on the cheek. She usually did it when she was happy about something, but today, that pinch had a deeper meaning than the usual.

"Pleasant afternoon to you Little May." Carter bowed to his greeter.

"Ow ow ow! Cut that out May! You're late as usual, I already gave Carter my weekly present!" Stu frowned slightly as he took May's arm away from his now sore cheek. He was pointing to the jar Carter held in his hand; a bug that Stu kept for a while now and had already produced offspring. "I remembered Carter telling me that we should learn the value of life, so I took care of the bug!" He exclaimed as though he had just won the Spring Horse Race.

Carter raised the jar over his head. He was a fine man indeed, with a good build and stature. Stu simply adored him, and May was fond of his always cheerful eyes. He spoke in his usual priestly manner: "It is indeed true that we are the highest in the hierarchy of the animal kingdom, and therefore should be the caretakers of the lesser ones, particularly the less able minded and the weak." In his mind he wondered whether the kids would understand it, and got the answer almost immediately.

It was Stu who made the move first and asked. "Carter's talking fancy talk again May, what did he say?"

"It means that we should take care of the Mayor and Popuri like that bug you gave Carter, Stu," was May's sly reply. She was comparable to the Harvest Goddess in many ways, from the way she talked, up to her coy cunning and sweet smiles. She clenched her tiny fist once more and giggled at what she said.

"Oh! Wow I didn't know that. You really are smart May!" Stu replied, taking no notice of the hint of mock sarcasm in what May had said.

Carter, on the other hand, smiled rather meekly and spoke once again. "What have you brought today Little May? I presume it's what you're holding right now?"

"Yes, I brought three crosses made of mystrile that I gave to Mr. Saibara the other day. I thought it would be nice if I made three, so each of us can have one!" She said gaily as she handed one to Carter, then to Stu, blushing a little afterwards. "That way when you walk and it jingles, you can remember me! I paid a lot for that you know, so you both better take care of it!" She added with her smile even more vibrant as she saw Stu and Carter looking grateful for her little presents.

"Thanks very much!" were the two males' replies. They were too surprised at the show of generosity May had displayed, as they expected that it was once again flour, like the last time when May shoved a handful to Carter's face, making him look like a ghost. Stu wet his pants after that incident. Carter suspected that her sarcasm from the bug statement hadn't yet gone.

Silence reigned while the seconds passed as they felt the fresh breeze pass their faces. It was an awkward pause for the three souls in front of the church, as they just looked at each other with their new necklaces reflecting the bright sun. It was then that footsteps shattered the silence that immediately made Carter return to his senses.

"Talk of the Shadow Goddess, I can see Popuri heading here. I kinda remembered just now that she mentioned something about playing with you today at the Goddess' pond, right May?"

"Yeah, she did Mr. Carter. I guess I'll be going now, but Stu needs his pants changed, I think he cried with joy for my gift! I'll go ahead with Popuri. Catch you later Stu!" May joked as she waved to Popuri.

**To be continued.**

A/N: How was the first chapter? Adequate descriptions for the characters? Read and review. :)


	2. In Age does not Maturity Mature

Disclaimer: Yeah, I do not own HM:FoMT, I repeat, I do not ok? So don't raise your brows, just read ok? :)

A/N: This is a short chapter I know. But it was sort of filler really, as the original chapter 2 got deleted from my comp, so I needed to make another one, and ideas popped up, you know...

**Chapter II: In Age does not Maturity Mature**

A young woman came walking towards the church. She had a pretty face, her eyes innocently looking at the glittering crosses held by three people in front of the church. Her wavy, shockingly pink hair reflected the radiant beams of the ending summer season. Lilia, the mother of the young woman, gave her the name Popuri. She merrily waved at Carter and the two kids.

"Good afternoon Carter! Hi May and Stu!" She waved jovially to them. "Pleasant weather today isn't it?"

Her eyes reflected the happiness that she had displayed, and it seemed she met something or someone on the way to the church that completely brightened her mood that afternoon. Carter was on the verge of asking exactly why she behaved a little more that her usual self, when he heard someone shout.

"Waah! I really did wet my pants May! I need to go change first, will you come with me Carter? Grandma's been feeling lonely these past few days, she could use some company. I'll meet you Popuri at the Goddess pond later ok?" Stu indefinitely asked the two girls.

"Sure Stu, just remind me to laugh later at the pond about your pants ok?" May sarcastically said. Carter could have sworn he saw May spoke from the corner of her lips a bit more after she spoke.

"Please be fast Stu, I've been wanting to be with you today... And I don't want to be stuck with this woman alone, my I.Q. will surely drop."

Stu had already started jogging awkwardly due to the mess he had done with his pants when he remembered Carter was still in front of the Church. "Mr. Caaaaarterrrrr! I forgot to bring you along!"

Carter stirred, mesmerized by unusual intelligence coming from the two children. How could they be so, so mature? Sure, Stu's older sister, Elli, was the master of snide hints and comments in spite of her more innocent looks than Popuri, but he wasn't sure if Stu had been taking sarcasm lessons from her. May was another thing too. In their early days Joanna got along well with Manna and Anna very well due to the fact that she was an explicit rumormonger, but Joanna almost never had the time to chitchat with May about humor. Barley was exempted, as he just recently learned the action "hysterical laughter" from Jack, his favorite costumer.

Stu got tired of waiting. He thought of something that would surely pierce Carter from dreamland.

"CARTER! We're having the specialty of the house for lunch! Want to grab something to eat first? Come before it gets cold, my pants REALLY needs changing, I think I did another one!"

That made Carter return to his senses.

"Well, you two better be going, have a nice day, Popuri, and you too May." He said in finality. He moved closer to May and whispered something. "Don't overdo it. You're still young as a calf, you'll have plenty of time when you're older." Carter winked.

"Yeah Mr. Carter, I'm still young all right, but I have more brains than Popuri." She winked back. "Well, see you Mr. Carter, take care of the gift I gave you ok?" She exclaimed as Carter walked towards Stu's front door.

**To be continued.**


	3. The Desire, And the Gossip at Rose Squar...

Disclaimer: I do not own HM:FoMT. This gets boring doesn't it? On with my story!

**Chapter III: The Desire, And The Gossip at Rose Square**

Popuri and May headed to Rose Square; they decided it would be a shorter route for them, though shorter meant that they would have a longer chat. May secretly disliked the idea in every possible way she looked at it, but she decided not to argue; she had already said some snide hints to Popuri, and it would have too rude of her to say such remarks to someone definitely of higher level than she was. The chattering that came from Rose Square could be heard as they walked, but it wasn't enough to break the silence that reigned upon their path. It was then that May decided to tease Popuri a little bit, and spoke first.

"Wow, you seem to be in a good mood today. I guess you met Kai along the way didn't you?" She asked with sweet venomous innocence. She heard Popuri gasp.

"Wha-? Yes, yes I did May, but how did you know?"

In her mind she wondered why May knew those things, though she was sure that May had not seen her that day yet. She gave up on thinking and eagerly awaited the young girl's answer.

Oftentimes, May played with Stu in their backyard, because her grandfather Barley was often busy at the counter attending to his work. It was Jack who kept him busy most of the time, who bombarded him with questions, tips, and jokes. There came one time when May was outside playing when she saw Kai heading for Saibara's shop, when Popuri blocked him on purpose and engaged Kai into a boring but animated chat about chickens. Kai simply looked flustered with the abrupt hold up, but decided to entertain the pretty Popuri.

It was then that May understood that Popuri had a desire for Kai. Both of them knew not, was that Kai felt the same way for Popuri. But Kai was weak hearted; he didn't have the courage to tell Popuri his feeling for her, and he was afraid of rejection. He was also subdued for the reason Popuri's brother Rick, kept on cutting his conversations with her short whenever an opportunity came to Rick when Kai visited during Summer.

"No, nothing Popuri, I just guessed, that's all. I remembered you and Kai were friends ever since he first visited Mineral Town."

"You can sure know how to guess accurately!" Popuri brightly exclaimed.

"Yeah, everyone says that to me, I'm the great fortune teller May! I got my powers from my mommy I think." May smirked, and she went on a roll. "And I'm predicting that a row will commence on umm." She placed her fingers on her temple. "Rose Square!"

Popuri giggled. "You're really funny May! Come on give it a rest now, you might run out of things to say!"

May sighed. She wasn't going to take Popuri's bait. She knew Popuri had already felt her sarcastic remarks and decided to turn the tide towards her. But she was too smart for Popuri. She had to think fast. If she continued her roll, she would definitely say something that would annoy Popuri. Annoying her would mean that their trip to the Goddess pond would be cut short. Cutting their trip to the Goddess pond would mean that she would miss Stu. She wasn't going to take a gamble. It was her day after all to make Stu notice that she was pretty. She made a quick decision. She decided to revert to the previous discussion about Kai, setting aside her humor that time.

"Umm Popuri?"

"Yes May?"

"Today's the end of summer. That means that Kai's heading for the city again isn't he? Why are you still happy?" She asked with true innocence this time.

Popuri blushed. She was secretly waiting for May to ask her that, and she even prepared a charming reply to her regarding her question.

"But that's it May! I met Kai this morning while I was feeding the chickens. He told me that he was staying this year because he wanted to see the flowers grow at autumn. But I think his real reason for staying was because he will be entering this year's Autumn Horse Race. I remember he started to breed a horse last year, but he left it in your ranch, as he can't bring it to the city with him. That's why I'm so happy!"

May smiled. She wasn't the only one who was having a great day after all. She decided to flatten his cold remarks, for the time being. She realized she was being too hard on Popuri, who was much older than she was, and whom she considered as a friend.

"That's good Popuri! You really like Kai very much do you?"

Popuri was becoming redder and redder now. She couldn't blame May for asking that question, nor hate her for making her blush, because hating what was true was being false. She also noticed that May's voice was inspired and calming, and Popuri figured that May broke the silly side of herself. She also smiled.

"Yes I do May, very much I do."

It was as if the two souls became one after that. They both held hands and trotted happily towards Rose Square. For once May considered that hanging out with Popuri wasn't a bad idea at all. Though both of them did not speak afterwards, their smiles told each other that they were happy they chose that route, where the conversation was stealthily waiting for them at the corner that brightened their moods.

Seconds trickled away as the clouds slowly moved in the sky, blocking the sun from view. It was the end of summer all right. The rays of the sun weren't as fierce as before, though the mirage was still present at the lampposts from the side of the street. Popuri decided to take a short break and rest for a while; May was panting due to the heat.

"Lets take a break now shall we? The clouds are blocking the sun anyway, so it won't be that hot" Popuri suggested.

"Thanks Miss Popuri, I was going to suggest that myself, I'm a little tired from going from my house to the church, and backtracking again."

The chattering that came from Rose Square could already be clearly heard from the bench they chose to sit on, and that gave them time to freshen up a bit, as well as eavesdrop to the daily gossips that Manna, Anna, and Sasha usually do every afternoon. May and Popuri knew not their topic that day, so they decided to elongate their hearing because they had nothing else better to do.

"You must be kidding!" Exclaimed a woman on white gloves, her eyes bulging like croaking frogs on the Kappa pond.

"You don't say?! That's definitely new to my ears!" Exclaimed another, with much more interest than the former speaker. Her eyes were twinkling like stars at Starry night Festival, and her ears were dancing like cats stuck on a pet shop for months that were about to be sold.

"Yes, yes, that's what I've heard." replied a rather impatient voice. "Surely Sasha, Anna, you are losing track of the latebreakers here in town, I've known that one _ages_ ago." Manna added rather menacingly, though she enjoyed the fact that she knew something both her friends didn't, as she always have been.

It was the usual scene among the three women who spent their afternoons chatting about almost everyone in Mineral Town. Manna, her jet-black hair hanging limply up to her neck, was the ringleader of the party, as she was always the one who had the most interesting say among the other two women. She looked young in her middle years, but she thought everyone said that because her husband, Duke, the wine maker, looked old due to his already graying hair. Sasha and Anna on the other hand, were the audience of Manna's gossips; they could almost be bored saying shocked words and pulling surprised expressions weren't for Manna's always eye bulging up-to-date scoops.

"So Manna, tell us what happened with Karen, she never told me that she was already eyeing someone of her interest. That girl of mine, so impertinent on denying all this time! And to think I am her mother..." Sasha sighed.

"Don't be hard on yourself Sasha." Anna snapped. "You know my Mary, she never tells me anything at all! Always stuck in her library. Sometimes I hate Basil for buying and making all those stupid books, my young woman hardly ever gets out of the house nor the library to socialize!" she said, shaking her head afterwards. "That's why she's so shy."

Both Anna and Sasha sighed. They knew Manna had more problems with Aja, but they couldn't help but spit out their feelings to the cold ground, who would never feel bad about their woes. They instinctively looked at Manna, thinking she might do a ranting herself. But Manna's urge of telling her scoop was stronger that time.

"Quit your whining you too, you know my Aja, you should be happy for yourself you still sleep with your daughters at home!" She paused, thinking about Aja herself, but resumed her pace. "Well, you both know that Rick and Karen have been friends since the day they could spell supermarket right?

"Yeah, I taught Karen that word when she was little, but I don't think Karen likes Rick, he's such a wimp." Sasha interjected.

Manna and Anna scowled; they hated Sasha's interruptions more than anything else did in the world.

"Sorry. Continue your report Manna." grinned Sasha rather sheepishly, realizing she chose yet another bad time to be philosophical.

"That was the best thing you said all day Sasha!" Manna sarcastically replied. "Anyway, I heard that Karen _is_ indeed placing her eyes on someone in town, and I heard that the lucky guy is not Rick, it's Jack! Well you see, I was poking around..."

"Yeah, you poke around all of the time." Said the two women listening to her. They were smirking at Manna, though she took no notice, and continued on.

"At the Goddess pond when I saw Karen humming a tune. Quite unusual of her really, as the only time I hear her sing is during the Music Festival at the church. But there's more! The more intriguing part was when I Jack came out of the Hot Springs I saw Karen blushed! I also saw her sneaking a side-glance towards Jack when he was heading for Gotz's house to buy some wood. Isn't that icing on cake as news?"

"Jack really is a sweet boy. She even has time to give me a present whenever she passes by the library to greet Mary you know?" Anna said thoughtfully. "Not like Gray who snaps more than I do."

Sasha looked flustered. "You should know Gray more it appears. He's also a fine boy really. The only guy here who looks pathetic to me is Rick," she hesitated for a bit, but spoke again. "as well as him." She said as if that concluded their discussion, pointing to someone by the huge board on the opposite side of their hangout.

The three women giggled with what Sasha said.

"True you are my dear Sasha, true you are." Anna and Manna said in agreement.

**To be continued.**

A/N: Again I broke this chapter for a reason that might be clear once I post chapter 4. Read and review peeps. :)


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